Mars Rover Curiosity Set to Hit the Road again

The Mars rover Curiosity is poised to drive again after being parked at a sand dune for the past month

The mission team said Thursday the six-wheel rover will head to its next destination in the next several days.

Though Curiosity has remained stationary, it has been busy scooping up soil and studying the atmosphere. Its next big task is to find a rock to drill into and that requires moving to a new spot.

The rover landed in Gale Crater, an ancient depression near the equator, in August. It is three months into a two-year mission to determine whether the environment could be favorable for microbial life.

Eventually it will head toward a mountain rising from the center of the crater where interesting minerals have been spotted from space.

The Mars rover Curiosity is poised to drive again after being parked at a sand dune for the past monthThe mission team said Thursday the six-wheel rover will head to its next destination in the next several days.Though Curiosity has remained stationary, it has been busy...